Cu2O-Ag Tandem Catalysts for Selective Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 to C2 Products

Abstract

The electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) to C2 chemicals has received great attention. Here, we report the cuprous oxide (Cu2O) nanocubes cooperated with silver (Ag) nanoparticles via the replacement reaction for a synergetic CO2RR. The Cu2O-Ag tandem catalyst exhibits an impressive Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 72.85% for C2 products with a partial current density of 243.32 mA·cm−2. The electrochemical experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the introduction of Ag improves the intermediate CO concentration on the catalyst surface and meanwhile reduces the C-C coupling reaction barrier energy, which is favorable for the synthesis of C2 products.

Boosting CO2 electroreduction towards C2+ products via CO* intermediate manipulation on copper-based catalysts

“…Loading Au, Ag, Zn, and other common metal catalysts on Cu has been verified to be effective in producing C 2+ products. 185,[193][194][195][196][197] Jaramillo's group deposited Au on a polycrystalline copper foil and found that the bimetallic Au/ Cu electrocatalyst had much higher activity and selectivity for the formation of C 2+ than that over gold and copper. The formation of products containing C-C bonds on bimetallic Au/Cu was 100 times more selective than C 1 products (methane or methanol) (Fig.…”

Anode Catalysts in CO2 Electrolysis: Challenges and Untapped Opportunities

“…In almost half of the cases (47%), Ir was employed as the anode catalyst, ,,,,,,,,− Another 30% and 14% account for Ni − ,,,,− ,− and Pt, ,,− …”

“…The colors consistently indicate the different catalysts. Data points were gathered from refs − , − , , , , and − …”

Designing Cu-Based Tandem Catalysts for CO2 Electroreduction Based on Mass Transport of CO Intermediate

“…Moreover, the partial current densities of multicarbon products and oxygenates from CO reduction are higher than those from direct CO 2 reduction on Cu catalysts. For instance, the highest partial current density of n -propanol from CO reduction on a nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dot-decorated Cu nanorod catalyst was 82 mA·cm –2 at −1.5 V vs SHE, while that from CO 2 reduction was 21 mA·cm –2 at −1.7 V vs SHE. , Therefore, a tandem catalyst combining the most active catalyst for CO 2 to CO conversion, such as Au, , Ag, − Zn, , and 3d metal single-atom catalyst, , with a Cu-based catalyst for further reduction of CO is promising to exhibit a high current density of highly reduced products from CO 2 reduction at a relatively positive potential on the SHE scale.…”